There
is a 9-page World Business Council for Sustainable Development ad in the
June 20 issue of FORBES magazine. As most readers of newswithviews articles
know, sustainable development is a United Nations program for environmental,
social, educational, and political control.

Ads
for the following businesses describing their company�s environmental
progress are included in the nine pages: Ricoh, Canon, Deutsche Bank,
and Toyota.

The
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is perhaps
the most significant supporter of United Nations environmental, social,
educational, and political control. Others are non governmental organizations,
multinational corporations, the US and International Chambers of Commerce,
plus numerous foundations and universities.

The
ad in FORBES is meant to promote Sustainable Development, but it also
reveals to the thoughtful reader and readers who visit the www.wbcsd.org
web site the vast extent of control which representatives of these groups
are expecting to transfer to the UN and the WBCSD.

Page
nine of the ad was written by Bjorn Stigson, President of the WBCSD. The
headline reads, �A Decade of Achievement.� which seems to me to indicate
that he is claiming WBCSD credit for the environmental achievements of
corporations. And he is not shy about grasping for future power. At the
very beginning of his message he writes:

�In
the span of a decade, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(WBCSD) has emerged as the leading business voice for sustainable development
and the partner of choice for governments and civil society organizations.�

Imagine!
He wants governments and civil society to take the WBCSD as a partner!
How�s that for chutzpah?

And
he wants accountability:

�An
underlying vision is based on sustainable development as a key to addressing
the public policy agenda with its focus on development issues, energy
and related climate concerns, and ensuring that business is accountable
for its actions.�

�To
implement its principles on a worldwide basis, Ricoh became a signatory
of the UN Global Compact in April 2002, thereby committing itself to the
compact�s nine guiding principles, which range from to environment to
labor practices and human rights.�

What
are the UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative? Check the
UN Global Compact web site:

�Launched
in July 2000 by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Global
Compact is an international initiative bringing companies together with
UN agencies, labour and civil society to support ten principles in the
area of human rights, working conditions, the environment, and ANTI-CORRUPTION.(emphasis
mine) Through the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks
to advance responsible corporate citizenship so that business can be part
of the solution to the challenges of globalisation. In this way, the private
sector -- in partnership with other social actors -- can help realize
the Secretary-General�s vision: a more stable and inclusive global economy.

�The
Global Compact is a voluntary corporate citizenship initiative endorsed
by companies from all regions of the world. It has two objectives:

1.
Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world
2. Catalyse actions in support of UN goals.

�To
achieve these objectives, the Global Compact offers facilitation and engagement
through several mechanisms: Leadership Model, Policy Dialogues, Learning,
Local Networks and Projects.

�As
of June 2004, more than 1,500 companies worldwide had committed to the
Global Compact and its principles.�

The
principles, now ten, in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment,
and ANTI-CORRUPTION (emphasis mine) which the UN claims enjoy universal
consensus are:

Principle
1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally
proclaimed human rights and Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights
abuses. Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association
and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory
labour; Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment
and occupation. Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach
to environmental challenges;Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental
responsibility; and Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally
friendly technologies. Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption,
including extortion and BRIBERY (emphasis mine).

By May
2005 it is claimed that over 2000 companies have signed on to the Global
Compact. Imagine, more than 2000 companies begging to be supervised by
the UN and the WBCSD. However, Bjorn Stigson writes:

�Many
companies, especially small and medium-sized firms and those in developing
countries have not yet understood or adopted sustainable development.
Even progressive companies have more work to do in order to improve their
economic, environmental and social performance. The quest for sustainable
development is a process and a continuous challenge to improve performance.

�Currently,
WBCSD members are addressing a wide range of issues including ethics,
accountability, sector projects, AND HOW MARKETS CAN BE USED TO PROMOTE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.� (emphasis mine)

And
he signs off saying:

�I encourage
you to visit www.wbcsd.org and learn
more about the preeminent business voice on sustainable development and
the partner of choice for important international government and civil
society organizations regarding vital public policy issues.�

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I, too,
encourage you to learn more about the WBCSD and sustainable development.
Learn more, lots more.

Erica Carle is an independent researcher and
writer. She has a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin. She has
been involved in radio and television writing and production, and has
also taught math and composition at the private school her children attended
in Brookfield, Wisconsin. For ten years she wrote a weekly column, "Truth
In Education" for WISCONSIN REPORT, and served as Education Editor for
that publication.